Removable motor unit with aerial propeller



Jan. 30, 1923. 1,443,368

A. LAMBLIN. REMOVABLE MOTOR UNIT WITH AERIAL PROPELLER.

FILED Aug. 1, 1921. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Jan. 30, 1923. 7 1,443,368

' l A. LAMBL I'N.

REMOVABLE MOTOR UNIT WITH AER'IAL PROPELLER.

FILED AUG. 1, 1921. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 /N VENTOR I 17/0: andrc lamb/1h,

Jan. 30, 1923.

. A. LAMBLlN.

REMOVABLE MOTOR UNI T. m TH AER AL PROPELLER 3 SHEETSSHEET 3 FILED Aus.

Fig.6.

Patented den. 39, 1923.

TES

PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDRE LAMBLIN, or PARIS, FRANCE.

. REMOVABLE MOTOR UNIT "WITH AERIAL PROPELLEE.

Application filed August 1, 1921. Serial No. 489,147.

the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a removable motor unit with an aerialpropeller perinitting of the propulsion of any vehicle.

This motor unit is mounted on a frame provided with grooved flanges andsockets permitting of its adaptation to the'vehicle, suitable devicesbeing provided for ensuring ease of manipulation and permitting a rapidmounting in placeof this frame by the aid of lifting appliances.

The frame 'carries the motor, its accessories and a casing carrying thedriving aerial propeller; The motor may be of any type, eitherelectrical, an explosion motor or one worked by heavy oils. As however.the electrification of navigable ways will probably closely follow thatof railways it will generally be preferable to provide an electromotorwhich ensures, among other advantages, simpler means for throwing it outof operation and reversal, together with reduced expense, upkeep andamount of space occupied. This electro-motor may be operated by anoverhead or underground main, accumulators or any other practical means,

The casing carries the aerial propeller and encloses the devicesWhichensure the transmission ofmotion between the driving shaft and theshaft of the propeller. This casin is completely independent of themotor. t is mounted on the frame so as to be able'to rotate relativelythereto and the aerial propelled can consequently be raised or loweredaccording to the obstacles encountered on the journey, such as bridges,tunnels, electric cables, etc. Some times it is not of any use to makethe casing capable of rotation relativelyto the frame. Thus for ex amplein the case of shallow river craft or thatof vehicles which are only ata low height above the track on which they run.

The invention also relates to a particularly advantageous combinationofthe preceding motor unit, a combination in which the frame'of this unitis made in one with the rudder shaft of a boat,in such a manner that thepropeller can be utilized for the purpose of steering the boatindependently of any rudder, or in combination with a rudder. 1

Various arrangements according to the present invention are shown, byway .of example, in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figures 1, Zand 3 are respectively alongitudinal elevation, with 'apartial section of the casing, arear view and a plan. view of theremovable motor unit with its aerial pro- PGllBl-I. The components shownin dot and dash lines inbFigure 1 correspondto a particular posltionassumed by the casing 10 after rotation about the shaft 13.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the frame Figure 6 is a plan view oftheprecedingh combination the axis of the aerial propeller beinginclined relatively to the axis of movemerit of the boat so as to effectturning.

A framevllsee Figures 1 to 4) carries a removable motor unit'with anaerial propeller. This frame has fixing flanges 2 provid ed with grooves3 in which fixing bolts are adapted to engage. It is also providedwithhollow bosses at open atthe lower part and closed at their upper parts.On the sides of the frame 1 are provided lugs 5 for holding this framein place in a removable manner.

The frame .lis adapted to carry any kind of motor 6, such as for examplean explosion motor, the accessories for this motor. such as its petroltank, being placed at 7, and its radiator at 8. This motor is providedwith a device for reversingit which may be operated by friction, gearsorthe like.

The driving shaft, 14 has at its end a star-ting crank 16.

The casing 10 is entirely independent of the motor and is hermeticallyclosed. It, is held by the frame 1 by means of bearings 11. and'12, Thiscasing carries atits lower part a shaft 13, the connection of'which withthe driving shaft 14 is ensured by a clutch device 15 which is adaptedto connect and disconnect the two. The clutch 15 is operated by asuitable device which may con sist of for example, the lever 17 the rod18 and fork 19. The casing- 10 carries at its upper part the shaft 20 ofthe aerial propeller 21. A driving sonnection-ensures the reductionof'speed necessary to the best effi ciency of the propeller, whichconnection may consist of a set of gear. wheels or of sprocket wheels22, 23 connected 'together'by a chain 24 and having,a-stretchenortightener 25, which ensures the transmission of movementbetween the shafts -r 13- and 20;.

referred tois mounted in the following manner;

To place theunit in position, the frame 1 is hooked by means of the'lugs5 to the hoisting chains of any kind oflifting'apparatus; The-frame canthus be raised together with the whole of the motor unit which itcarries, thatis, motor, accessories, casing,aerialpropeller, etc. Theframe is then rested on-thevehicle which is'to be propelled such'as aboat, the flanges 2 fitting on to suitable fixing plates on the vehicle.The flanges Q'and'the fixing plates therefor are then connected byintroducing bolts into the grooves 3 and" tightening these bolts up. Thewhole of the motor-unit is then connected 'toithe vehicle; The grooves 3also permit of a longitudinal movement of themotor unit for the purposeof effecting any adjustment necessary to fit it into place.

Insteadof connecting the frame to the vehicle by means offlanges such as2 and grooves 3, the hollow bosses 4 may fit on to projections Iintegral with the Vehicle, the fixing-in placeqof the bosses andconsequently of the entire motor unit being obtained by the aid ofsuitable clamping screws When the motor unitis fixed by means of itsframe to the'vehicle to be propelled, the motor may be started byturning the crank 16 which sets the explosion motor in motion.

By operating the lever 17 the coupling sleeve 15. is moved andconnection between the shafts 13 and14 is effected. The rotary movementof the driving shaft 14 isthus transmitted to the shaft 13, and to thesprocket wheel 22, which drives the wheel 23 by means of the endlesschain 24 and its stretcher or tightener 25. The shaft 20 integral withthe wheel 23 produces the rotation of the propeller 21 and thereby thepropulsion of the vehicle.

"Whena-n obstacle of any kind such as an electric cable, a bridge with alow overhanging arch, etc., is encountered by the vehicle during itsjourneyv and is at a height which is lowerthan thatof the upper end ofthe blades of the propeller, it is necessary to land the motor unitwhich it carries.

lower the latter. For this purpose, the casing- '10 which is independentof the motor, is mounted inits bearings 11 and 12 in such a manner thatthe same is movable relativelyto the general frame of the unit. Itsufiices to operate the crank 33 which, by-means'of the shaft 32vand thepinion 31 produces the rotation of the gear wheel 30, with-the resultthat'the casing 10 and the whole of the parts which it carries, that is,the shaft of the propeller, the sprocketwheels, etc, is'caused to turnin the bearings 11 and 12- about the" shaft '13. These variouscomponents are capable of assuming in particular the positionindicatedby dot and dash lines in Figure 1.

The propeller can thus be lowered to a height'wh'ich is sufficient toallow it'to clear the obstacle. I i

As the casing for the devices which operate the propeller ishermetically; closed," perfect lubrication of the internal parts isensured by immersion, whatever position the p-ropellermaybe in, that'is,whether the propeller be in its raised" or lowerechposition. v

The removable motor unit-may not'only beusedfor propulsion onriversor onland, but it may. also be used for driving dif ferentk-inds of hoistingapparatus,- such as small cranes, windlasses, chains with buckets, orcables. For this purpose it sufiices to replace the propeller byasuitablepulley. i

A particularly interesting combination in which the removable motor unithereinbefore described 'may' be emp'loyedwis shown inlFigures 5 and 6.Themotor unitis combined with the rudder shaft of a boat for the purposeof effecting'both the propulsion and'the steering ofsuch boat.

The motor unit and it's accessoriesindicated-at40, and thesmo-vablecasing '10 carrying the propeller 2'1rest by means of'th'e frame 1 on asupporting brack'et41i This bracket 41 is integralvwith-the-'shagft42"of the rudder 43. The shaft'42' is'connected at 44 to therear'of the boat 45. The bracket is controlled by a steering rod 46'.

The arrangement abovedescribed works in the following manner. W'hentheboat is to move in a straight line the steering rod 46 is placed in linewith the axis of movement of the boat. The propeller 21, driven as hasbeen described above,', produces the propulsion of the .boat along itsaxis.

When it is desired to turnthe boat,,the steering rodf46 is inclined inthe direction of the arrow 47 as shown in Figure 6'. The steeringrodcarries with it in -,this rotation the supporting bracket 41, the shaft42 of the rudder 43, the. rudder itself, the frame The propeller 21consequently assumes the posithe shafts 13 and 14 are disconnected fromeach other. In this case the turning of the boat is ensured in theordinary way by the rudder 43.

What I claim is I l. A removable motor unit having an aerial propellerfor propulsion of vehicles on land oron water, said unit comprising amotor and its accessories and a casing carrying said propeller, saidcasing containing transmitting members connecting the motor shaft to thepropeller shaft and capable of turning independently about the m0- torshaft, and two bearings rigid with the frame of the motor unit andsupporting said Y casing in part and beyond its centre of gravity,whereby said bearings prevent improper movements of said casing.

2. 'In the combination of a motor and an aerial propeller with a boat,an assembly comprising said motor, its accessories, the aerial propellerand a casing which carries said propeller and contains the transmis-csion members between the motor shaft and the propeller shaft and whichcasing is adapted to turn independently about the motor shaft, saidassembly resting removably on a bracket rigid with the boat rudder,

whereby the motor unit may be instantly connected to or separated fromthe rudder;

Intestimony whereof I have affixed my signature. I

ALEXANDRE LAMBLIN;

